(little) cup
[noun]
[het kop-je, de kop-jes]
“Kopje” – literally “little cup” – is the diminutive of “kop”, but this is often lost in translation.
“Kop” also translates to “head”, therefore “kopje” would also translate to “little head”, but this is only used in a couple of expression, listed under Extra 2.
Examples:
– “Wilt u een kopje koffie, meneer?”
(“Would you like a cup of coffee, sir?”)
– “Ik drink mijn thee liever niet uit een plastic bekertje, maar uit een echt kopje.”
(“I’d rather not drink my tea from a plastic cup, but from a real cup.”)
– “Kopje koffie, glazenwasser?”
(“Cup of coffee, Mr. Window-cleaner?” Famous line from a popular Dutch TV series “Pisa” in the 80s)
Related words:
– Beker: mug [noun] [de beker, de bekers].
– Koffie: coffee [noun] [de koffie, <no plural>].
– Thee: tea [noun] [de thee, <no plural>].
– Lepeltje: (little) spoon [noun] [het lepeltje, de lepeltjes].
– Roeren: to stir [verb] [roeren, roerde, geroerd].
Extra:
In the eighties, VOF de Kunst was a popular Dutch band. They had two big hits: “Suzanne” and “Eén kopje koffie“. Check out the clips on YouTube…and you maybe able to sing along whenever they play them in a bar 😉
Extra 2:
– “Kopje duikelen”: to turn somersaults.
– “Kopje onder gaan”: to get a ducking.
– “Kopjes geven”: a cat rubbing its head against someone/something.
There must have been a Suzanne-craze worldwide! In Italy we had ‘Susanna’ that you wacth on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj32jEBLCIA
You correctly state that ‘kop’ can also be translated ‘head’. It would perhaps be helpful to mention the usages of ‘kop’ for animals (but not the horse!)and also in a vulgar or joking sense for people. When do we use ‘head’, when ‘kop’, and when ‘kopje’?
“Mijn meisje heeft een lekker kopje.” “Ik heb een zere kop.” “Koppen dicht!” “Onze koe heeft een zwarte plek op zijn kop.” “Koppijn.”
En dan ook nog eens: De kop van Jut.
Interessant voorbeeld bij Extra 2 😛
Bedankt, typisch geval van ‘oeps’ 😉
what about ‘kaaskopje’?